Me Before You | Book Review

While I love the experience of reading something completely new, I am a big fan of re-reading books. There are some novels (Pride & Prejudice, Confessions of a Shopaholic, etc.) that I can (and have) read multiple times, and each time I do, I find something new. It also helps that I have a terrible memory, and often forget the endings or large pieces of plot, so re-reading a book is kind of like reading it for the first time, with just a few familiar parts. I am especially keen to re-read a novel when it’s adapted into a movie, which is why I recently picked up Me Before You by Jojo Moyes again.

I first read Me Before You in the fall of 2013, and really loved it. And this time, I loved it even more. Me Before Youtells the story of Louisa Clark, a 26-year-old woman who lives in a small English town, and lives a small (but happy) life there. After losing her job at a café, her exhaustive job search leads her to be a caregiver for a quadriplegic man, Will Traynor. Will, who had been a very successful business man and adventurer prior to an accident, is dissatisfied with his new life. Lou sets out to show him that life can still be worth living.

Though the subject matter is heavy, and heartbreaking at times, the way Moyes writes is easy, heartwarming and inviting. Even though I already knew what was going to happen, I still found myself reading just one more chapter, just ten more minutes, wanting to absorb as much of these characters as I could. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will be left wondering if there’s something you can do to live your life to the fullest.

I am now very curious to see how the movie portrays these characters. From the trailers, it seems that the romance aspect is being played up quite a bit, but I have a feeling that the heart of the story will still be there. Hopefully I can convince Christopher to go see it with me soon, and I will update you on what I think!